Mario Balotelli behaviour down to 'bad education', claims former Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff

The Liverpool striker has struggled since his £16m move from AC Milan

Simon Rice
Tuesday 11 November 2014 07:42 EST
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(Getty Images)

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Mario Balotelli's disruptive behaviour is due to a lack of education, claims former Ajax and Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff.

Liverpool striker Balotelli has been a magnet for controversy during his career, spanning his spells with Inter and AC Milan, Manchester City and now at Anfield.

With the 25-year-old struggling on the pitch since his £16m move to Liverpool, with his search for a Premier League still on going, attention has quickly turned to scrutinising his attitude and behaviour.

The latest person to offer a view on the Italian, who is currently with the national team, is Dutch great Cruyff who believes it is Balotelli's education rather than the player himself that is the cause of his problems.

"What I think about Balotelli as a player and as a man? We always talk about the person, I prefer to talk about education of the person,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Balotelli doesn't behave well and we have to ask why.

Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff (Getty Images)

Cruyff continued: "To me, if someone is not educated, he doesn't play. To me, it is not fault of the player, but of the team that makes him play. The problem is not Mario, but the education that was given to him.

“If he had been educated in a certain way, he wouldn't behave this way."

Balotelli's upbringing has been well documented, with the striker being taken into foster care at a very young age.

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